re: Knoxville Symphony Sued for DEI Discrimination

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Primary are voice, piano, and organ. I also play drums, bass, and the accordion. I have played mostly in the state of GA & probably the most famous person I've performed with was Andrea Bocelli. I played jazz piano for years at Sea Island and can tell you they aren't paying $250 an hour.

I dont think I'm some hot shite just a regular guy living a comfortable middle class lifestyle from performing music. I feel extremely fortunate because most people in this position have to teach lessons or work in the school system.

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Bocelli? That's a generational talent.

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How many hours do they publicly perform in a year?

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It doesn't matter honestly, the mere idea of paying someone a per hour rate for practicing is insane. Yet alone lawyer rates like $250/hr

You get paid a rate for the gig & the practice is something you do on your own to be prepared. It's like being a mechanic, if you're good you can blow through things quickly & still do a good job.

Maybe if they requested some super weirdo unique piece for audition he has an argument, otherwise, I would bet one billionaire dollhairs that there are much more talented clarinetists that could learn their audition rep in a lot less than 100 hours.

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have a Yacht Rock group that does pretty well. It's a large group though, 10 pieces with horns, but for some reason folks are willing to pay good money for it.

Also, being in Georgia....look up Equinox Orchestra.

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Thanks & will do. Sounds like you have some great stories yourself...musicians tend to be pretty interesting

Some of my old frat bros had a yacht rock group that would play at Athens & Atlanta area bars. They turned into more of a jazz fusion group over the years but check out Misnomer/Mister Tie Dye when you get a chance

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$250 an hour to practice, not even publically perform, the clarinet??

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Don't you reckon he's starting high thinking he'll settle for less?

That's how negotiations usually go.

Sounds like he might be right on the arguments but a prick in personal rations so the incorrect arguments might have been used to get rid of an a-hole.

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Don't you reckon he's starting high thinking he'll settle for less?

That's how negotiations usually go.

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No, this isn't how negotiations usually go at all. This is the equivalent of negotiating for a $50k truck and starting at $1. Or negotiating with a 2 year old. A random clarinetist doesn’t have the cards to negotiate this way.

Why not? Well...

Note that he's already suing for the $47k a year salary -a standard orchestra position would include performances & group rehearsals already. He's suing for 100 hours of practice time (does he even have record of this?) on the AUDITION. Practicing by himself.

Every year, thousands of musicians practice their @sses off for orchestra auditions. LOADS of them won't make it. But they're not owed one red cent for practicing, just like they're not owed a position in the orchestra for auditioning. They just take those pieces to the next audition, take those skills with them etc.

You should read the article, this guy is comically out of touch. Suing for practice hours is just the tip of the iceberg

He should also ask for $1,000,000 in pain, suffering, and mental anguish for the infliction of emotional distress.

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Sounds like he might be right on the arguments but a prick in personal rations so the incorrect arguments might have been used to get rid of an a-hole.

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That's clearly the case in regards to his Nashville firing. It doesn't seem he officially disputed or challenged that firing in any way. Hell, after he sent the 1am five page email to HR they fired him and posted extra security at the doors of the joint.

Knoxville isn't exactly far-flung from Nashville, and I'm sure there is overlap between the two symphonies at least to some degree. His reputation didn't disappear in the time between his Nashville firing and the Knoxville audition. There is no dispute from anyone involved in Nashville that he was a great player, but basically an a-hole. So, there's no surprise that he won the blind audition, only to have the people making the decision balk when they saw his name.